Workmen's advocate., 1887-02-05
JAkOBY AND DEMOCRACY.
Comparison of Dr. Jakoby's Views
 With Contemporary Opinion.

Wischnewetzky, which will form
 With q former paper presented l.
 our readers, the preface to Jacoby'
 celebrated speech to his constituent!
 in 1870:
 The speech herewith placed before the
 workers of America is the noteworthy
 ntterance of the Konigsberg physician
 and noble friend of the working class
 Dr. Johann Jakoby, a democrat in tn,
 best sense of the word d warm advocate
 of the enlightenment of the people and
 of the improvement of their condition. Johann Jakoby, following the democratic thought to its logical conclusion per ceived that the bearer of the democratic Idea In our day is the modern social de- mocracy, and the most eminent of his party was first to join the young Social- ist Labor Party.
 In America the old Jefferson democ- racy perished long ago, and with it as
  with the democracy of Jakoby the "dem. ocratlc' party of to-day has it's name alone Ill common, us may best he seen rom the phases of development through which the ''democratic" party has passed, the last stage included. The
 delhocratlc party after being the pro- slavery party, passed through stage in which 1t differed from ifs "republican" flVal only in representing Free Trade as opposed to Protection. Then, the Tariff question ceasing to serve as an issue. and 'he old parties surviving only to divide | the spolls to the shame not alone of the 'democratlc party, be it said. a presj- dential election became possible which turned not upon party platforms but up. on the relative decency of two candj- tates. The rise of tho United Iabor tarty at the November election of t4sG winch has been rightly characterized as he beginning of new era in American 'olltics, but the ''democrats" q nassing o'So" ehe as "saviours of society" representing neither platforms nor de. ency, but the great "prncipIe" of "po. rlotism And the fusion of the two 'ld parties for the furtherance of this principle is only question of time, hready during the campaign of the past 'utumn' nalvely upright "democrats" Vho Jake "Society Saving" seriously hoWered bitter reproaches upon tn, "re. 'ublieans" for their ''unpatriotic" action nominating separate candidates And the complete fusion of the "demo. rats with their kindred spirits, the .rp- ao'icans, will be delayed so long only S each of the old parties may still hope save something for itself Mean , 'hiie the general saving of society is not 'S' sight of, and bills are pending in ongress to provide for the more etfec. 'e establishment of the militia, il noint men we shall touch upun later, , ohe prominently democratic mnolitv our af'y with this glorious record unmis- ,. 'kabiy possesses, to wit, justice. far be- r oia all true democracy, namely a rn. ssal respect for popular maorites. A j. aJorlty u must have at all costs aud ,l nee It would have hard work to com. ,. nee one, it buys its majority wherever :, can, Accordingly. bribes proving nm. aiiing among the masses of workers ," a"akehihg to a consciousness of ar class interests, we behold the spec le of these worthy democrats" ana QI atrlots" buying among the tenement Pl lse populations of our great cities that pl 2uiar majority which they so greatly tn pect. For the purchase of maiorit,, ", W. sacrifice of money is too great. and on fy fair-minded person must admit pri | thls IS the heaviest sacrifice which a am y can make that represents only the t;" rp' rests of that class whose dominat;on in >tate and society rests solely upon ifs the sessions. Thus do our ':patriots" sac- ot e that which in their eyes k most "ra "r, ed. It Is, however, sacrifice that me lgs Its own reward We spite of all this decay and corr1p- T within the old parties the spirit anu Me- ntlons of the Jetfersonian Demo, .ra,., of live in considerable part of tba Hr" oring Glass; and we see here among '" ," the person of Henry George man wat IS following in the path of Jakoby the as an upright Democrat, has placed '1'' elf nnnn thn Ailn aE .l-- -----